4.  The three knives

Wáng Róng dreamt that two knives,
 and then a third knife, were nailed into the roof beam. 
Master Li Yì explained to him:

"The character dao: knife, repeated three times gives the character zhou
(chief of) province, so you will enter the Prefecture". 
Soon after that, he became Governor of a province.

As Wáng Róng had, without doubt, plotted to become governor, 
the "Damocles knife " was only in appearance hanging over his head 
(though the goodwill of the emperor is always a two-edged sword,
as suggested by the first part of the dream).

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10/22/08 13:41